How to Buy a Diamond

Most folks are overwhelmed by the experience of shopping for a diamond. Many are
somewhat familiar with the “four Cs” (Cut, Color, Clarity and Carat
weight) but are not sure what each term means, which of them are more important,
and how they interplay. Therefore some choose to visit a jeweler referred by a
friend or a relative. Unfortunately most jewelers have a very few diamonds in stock and are
dependent upon the inventory of a couple of diamond wholesalers. A few decide to
browse some diamond selling websites. However, diamonds displayed on these websites
rarely belong to the online retailers. In fact one may come across the same diamond
simultaneously displayed on several competing websites. Besides, an online retailer,
say from Seattle may be selling diamonds belonging to several diamond dealers in New
York, Los Angeles, Chicago, etc; and never see the diamonds they are selling.

Due to lack of clear education provided by the stores and somewhat confusing information on diamonds selling websites some
folks settle upon diamonds certified by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA),
the top gem certification laboratory.

Having a GIA certificate does not guarantee that a diamond is of high
quality.

The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) established a system for grading
diamonds, commonly known as the Four C's. It is worth noting that this system can
only be accurately applied when the diamond is not mounted. Therefore as much as
possible buyers must avoid buying diamonds that are mounted. Also buyers must avoid
buying diamonds that are graded with a range of qualities; for example. Color: G
– H, Clarity: VS2 – SI1.

A Well-Balanced Diamond

For a given dollar amount one must buy a diamond that gives the best overall
value with respect to all the Four C’s.

A well proportioned H color SI1 clarity diamond will
shine much better than a J color VS1 clarity; and a G color VS2 clarity diamond with "None" Fluorescence will
shine better than a D color VS1 diamond with "Strong" Fluorescence.

If super high clarity is not absolutely essential one should avoid buying diamonds like H color VVS1 clarity or K color with Flawless clarity.

Diamond Care

Diamond is the hardest natural substance. They are resistant to damage by heat
or scratching and can be cut or polished only by another diamond. However, an
extremely hard blow to the girdle can chip a diamond. Therefore, one must avoid
buying diamonds with “Extremely Thin” girdles. This is especially true
for “Princess Cut” diamonds, which have sharp corners. Periodic cleaning
with a mixture of ammonia and water will keep the diamond sparkling.

There are several processes to artificially enhance the color and mask the
natural flaws of diamonds. Some of these treatments are not permanent. For example,
a fracture-filled diamond could show the fractures after few years of use. Some
treatments are difficult for even a gemologist to detect.

Some treated diamonds remain radioactively “hot” for several
years.

Treated diamonds are obviously worth substantially less than their
non-treated counterparts. The purchase of treated diamonds should be done with
caution and with awareness of the potential risks involved.

We do not sell treated
or clarity enhanced diamonds.

Buying diamonds on the internet

Selecting a correctly graded, properly cut, bright, and durable diamond especially
on the internet can be a challenge. Most websites list thousands of diamonds.
However, diamonds displayed on these websites rarely belong to the online retailers.

For example, one popular diamond website lists about fifty similar looking H color, SI1 clarity GIA certified one carat Round
diamonds from $4,700 thru $7,000 and about twenty similar-looking one carat D color VS1 GIA
certified Princess cut diamonds from $5,300 to $9,000. How could identical looking
diamonds be so far apart in price?

Also, there are several counterfeit GIA certified diamonds available in the
market and internet would be the perfect avenue to sell these.